New Zealand Organizations involved in Family Planning Debate

Naturally, on this site, we often report on those campaigns that have condoms as their main focus, specifically those initiatives that promote the increased and consistent use of condoms to help prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. However, we do not often hear the other side of the story from those people who do not support family planning. In a recent press release issued by Right to Life New Zealand Incorporated, the promotion of condoms is viewed quite simply as the “Campaign From Hell.”

Family Planning, another New Zealand organization, has begun a new campaign that is striving to open the dialogue about condoms. According to the press release, “the focus of the campaign is designed to get New Zealanders talking about condoms and safer sex.” Right to Life admits that it is honorable of Family Planning to attempt to lower the teenage pregnancy rate as well as the sexually transmitted infection rate with this campaign. Right to Life, however, feels that the entire campaign does nothing but promote promiscuity. They express their disappointment that the Family Planning association continues on an unsuccessful campaign (in their opinion) that pushes an immoral agenda of fornication, teenage pregnancy, promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases. It is their opinion that by encouraging condom use, teenaged boys are encouraged to act more like sexual predators who cannot differentiate between true love and temporary lust.

Right to Life speaks of sexuality, “Our sexuality is a gift of our Creator; He invites us to co-operate with Him within the institution of a loving marriage, procreation and the loving lifelong union of husband and wife. This is God’s plan for or happiness.” Right to Life makes it very clear they do not support Family Planning’s claims that condoms are the number one protection against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies.

 Right to Life asserts that Family Planning feels it is okay to use abortion as a backup in case a chosen contraceptive does not work; thus, in their opinion, the lives if innocent unborn children are sacrificed. They cite a 2008 report from the Abortion Supervisory Committee which showed that close to 5,000 women who underwent an abortion actually got pregnant despite the fact that they were using condoms as a contraceptive. This, they believe, is evidence that the “safer sex” campaign that Family Planning supports is failing. Right to Life asks that Family Planning stop its initiative of promoting “safe sex” and instead push for people to abstain from sex until marriage.